Use the following index to link to the definitions that you require:

Wireless Access Points and Routers

These devices connect the wireless network to the wired network. They have a standard 10-base-T connector and IP routing capabilities. They also control access to the network and load bearing of all access points on the network.

PCMCIA Adapters

These devices connect laptops and any other PCMCIA Type 2 compatible devices to the access point. This device is connected to the computer sing a PCMCIA Type 2 connection, which is standard on current laptop computers and can be an accessory for some palmtops.

 

USB or PCI Adapters

These devices connect desktop computers to the access points via wireless communication. They are either installed via a USB port or are installed internally in a vacant PCI port.

 

Network Security and Encryption

Encryption is the conversion of data into a form that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized people. Decryption is the process of converting encrypted data back into its original form, so it can be understood. With wireless networks, the following security options are available, SSID, WEP, MAC filtering and VPN connections.

 

 Service Set Identifier (SSID)

All clients must be configured with the correct SSID to access the WLAN. If the SSID does not match, that user will not be granted access to you LAN.
The SSID only identifies the WLAN client that is allowed to access the network. Your data however, is still vulnerable to interception

 

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

WEP is a protocol that adds security to wireless networks based on the 802.11b standard. WEP can either be enabled or disabled. It is designed to afford wireless networks the same level of protection as a comparable wired network. WEP security is based on a scheme called RC4 that involves a combination of secret user keys and system-generated values. The original implementations of WEP used 40-bit encryption, that implements a key length of 40 bits and 24 additional bits of system-generated data (64 bits total). Research has shown that 40-bit WEP contains security flaws, and consequently most product vendors today employ 128-bit or above encryption .

Surprisingly, fewer than 40 percent of current WLANs use WEP. When implemented correctly, it does provide an additional layer of protection for your network.

 

Media Access Control (MAC) Filtering

When MAC address filtering is enabled, you are restricting the Network Cards that are allowed to connect to your access point. All cards have a unique 48-bit MAC address burned into the ROM chip  itself.

The MAC address may not be changed and this filtering is a great way to protect your network from someone snooping around your network looking for vulnerabilities.

 

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

VPN's create a secure, encrypted tunnel, shielding the data from the outside world. Contrary to popular beliefs, VPN can be implemented within a LAN. It is a great way to shield your data from prying eyes.

 

No matter what method is used to protect your Wireless Network, ultimately, the security of your network depends on you. You authorize access. You choose the products to build your network. You create and manage your security policies and procedures. You can do a lot to help make your network secure simply by using common security practices.

 

Internet Firewall

A firewall protects a computer network from unauthorized access. Firewalls may be hardware devices, software programs, or a combination of the two.

 

A firewall typically guards an internal network against malicious access from the outside; however, firewalls may also be configured to limit access to the outside from internal users.

 

Firewalls also provide an extra measure of safety by hiding internal LAN addresses from the outside. In a proxy server firewall environment, network requests from multiple clients appear to the outsider as all coming from the same proxy server address.

 

Internet Connection Sharing

ICS allows a local network of Windows computers to share a single Internet connection. This set-up is used when a router is not present in the network. Thus it's a cheap alternative and is usually used with a dial-up modem.

 

When using ICS, one computer must be chosen as the "server." This computer must support two network interfaces, one directly connected to the Internet and the other connected to the remainder of the LAN. In a traditional home dial-up network, for example, the server computer is directly connected to the modem.

 

When configured through Windows, the ICS server behaves as a NAT router, directing messages on behalf of multiple computers. ICS incorporates a DHCP server that allows clients to obtain their local addresses automatically rather than needing to be set manually.

 

Compared to hardware routers, ICS has the advantage of being included with the operating system so no additional purchase is required. On the other hand, ICS lacks many of the configuration options that hardware routers possess.

Which Standard to Choose 802.11A, 802.11B or 802.11G

 

         

Click on the image to enlarge them